Additional Fiber Optic Connection

Utah State University and the Utah Education Network are celebrating the completion of Comcast’s new fiber optic connection that creates an additional high-speed Internet connection to USU, UEN and the world.

Since 2000, UEN, USU and Comcast have worked to create a new fiber optic connection that runs between the Utah Education Network, located at the University of Utah, and USU.

“This additional fiber optic connection provides peace of mind for the businesses in Cache Valley that rely on continual contact with the digital world,” said Merry Lu Zeller of USU’s Vice President for Information Technology office. “Logan Regional Hospital and many of the high-technology businesses on USU’s Innovation Campus, including the Space Dynamics Laboratory and Letterpress Software, Inc., will greatly benefit.”

Zeller said the new fiber optic connection could be compared to a second highway, noting that if Sardine Canyon were closed because of a catastrophe, the other highways in and out of Cache Valley would become crucial.

“Nobody likes to wait, and one second of download time can seem like hours,” said Zeller. “If you have to wait for a day to repair a broken line, nobody’s happy.”

The new Comcast fiber optic connection provides faster, more secure data communication and an alternate path, which is critical to businesses seeking to avoid the risk of network downtime.

“This new connection will help tremendously with high-performance computing that requires reliable high-speed access, and it provides additional bandwidth to education, research and businesses in northern Utah,” said M.K. Jeppesen, USU vice president for Information Technology and member of the UEN steering committee. “It’s a great boon to USU’s Innovation campus and the high tech research companies housed there. It is vital to the growth of these high tech businesses, that’s our aim – to provide that service.”

“The completion of this project means greater Internet stability and speed for students, researchers and businesses affiliated with Utah State University and the University of Utah,” said Stephen H. Hess, chief information officer for the Utah System of Higher Education and member of the UEN steering committee. “With this alternate route users are less likely to see any interruption in their high-speed Internet connections.”

In August 2005, Comcast, the state of Utah and Cache Valley government and business organizations announced the completion of a $1.5 million fiber optic line to Cache Valley, designed to create significant economic and community development opportunities.

The project was the culmination of a multi-year effort on the part of Cache Valley government and business organizations to improve the area’s communications infrastructure, promote business growth and bring advanced services to area residents.

Since its founding in 1888, USU has evolved from a small, agricultural college to one that is nationally and internationally recognized for its intellectual and technological leadership in land, water, space and life enhancement. As Utah's land-grant and space-grant institution, the university has 850 faculty who provide education for more than 23,000 undergraduate and graduate students, including 7,000 in its continuing education sites located throughout the state of Utah.

USU’s Innovation Campus was established in 1985 with one building in a North Logan field. The campus has since grown into a bustling, high-tech research center that employs nearly 2,100 people and is home to 45 businesses. Innovation Campus companies generate approximately $121 million in revenue per year.

The Utah Education Network is an award-winning consortium of higher and public education, libraries, state government and business. UEN’s high-speed data network connects Utah colleges and universities, as well as the state’s school districts and libraries. UEN services benefit more 750,000 school and college students throughout the state and is headquartered at the Eccles Broadcast Center on the U of U campus.

For more information on USU’s celebration of the high speed, redundant Internet connectivity, contact Zeller at (435) 797-7199.